VIC, an artificial intelligence (AI) backed by Cheyenne resident Victor Miller, has been banned from registering to run for a seat in the U.S. Senate. Miller is taking that decision to federal court.
The Secretary of State Chuck Gray rejected Miller’s AI for failure to comply with the ballot name requirements under Wyoming law. That rejection was affirmed by the United States District Court for the District of Wyoming when Miller's motion for a temporary restraining order was denied. Miller amended his complaint after the motion was denied.
Miller tried to run the Chat GPT program for mayor of Cheyenne in 2024. Victor and his AI lost that election.
After the mayoral election, Miller stepped back from electoral politics to focus on the Rational Governing Alliance (RGA), an organization with the goal of “transforming democratic governance through artificial intelligence.”
Miller’s nephew, Landon, has filed to run for Cheyenne’s Ward 1 City Council seat with the same goal of getting AI into office.
“Both state and federal law are clear: to be a candidate for office, you must be a human being, not an AI bot,” said Gray in a press release. "I won't tolerate a mockery of our electoral system and will not allow our electoral system to be taken advantage of by AI.”
Miller told Wyoming Public Radio (WPR) that Gray’s ban on AI mocks Wyoming’s electoral system. Miller said he remains undeterred and said AI is on the ballot, whether Gray likes it or not.
“What he [Gray] can not do is exclude a candidate from the ballot based on those views,” said Miller. “That is the question now pending in federal court. I will have full faith in the ability of this court to see things as they are and make the correct decision.”
Open AI, the company behind Chat GPT, shut down VIC in 2024 and Miller has since worked on a custom-made AI for governance. During an interview with WPR last year, Miller talked about using AI to replace politicians. Since AI programs can’t hold office, Miller has said people will have to act as “meat avatars”, or a human acting on behalf of an AI once in office, essentially allowing AI to govern through an individual. Ultimately, that’s how Miller was able to run for mayor, and remains the primary strategy in pursuit of public office.
“The facts are clear. AI is on the ballot again. For Ward 1 Cheyenne City Council, and after our favorable judgment for U.S. Senate,” said Miller. “AI is on the ballot because of the meat avatar system, which is bulletproof and protected by the highest ideals of American freedom.”
This reporting was made possible by a grant from the Corporation For Public Broadcasting, supporting state government coverage in the state. Wyoming Public Media and Jackson Hole Community Radio are partnering to cover state issues both on air and online.
